In Justice's Light
by AmirGM
Summary: Justice is not good, it is not evil, it is not peace nor is it war. It is fairness, strength, passivity, weakness, action. To be impartial, you must have partaken in both sides, harshness, and tenderness. Justice is balance, it is harmony. It is light, and darkness, to have one you cannot have the other. That's what she knew to be true.
1. The Time We Have

It had been 6 years since the war, to this very day. Riven looked up to the sky as she sat for a moment, she had been tending to O'fa's farm all morning, and as she tried to take a moment to herself, Riven's thoughts traveled back to the long journey from Noxus. Lands she had not plowed through with the farming tool as she did now, but rather her bloodied blade, people's lives she had torn asunder, and ghosts of the past she still yet had to bury within herself.

Her eyes shut as she tried to push the thoughts back, and Riven allowed a breath in, even as her mind returned to that time once more, she was no longer haunted by it. Instead, she relaxed, and basked in the hot midsummer sun while the cicadas whirred in the trees around her. A decade ago she would never have imagined herself in such an idyllic scenario. Back then, all she knew was war, and the heavy burden of her sword. The time was different now, and even as ghosts flicked at the edges of her vision, she got up, and began to resume the process of tending to the fields.

It was tedious work, and she often times felt bored by it. Despite this, she continued on, for it was her repentance, the justice that was serviced upon her so many years ago, when the war was still fresh in people's minds. 'Hard labor, repairing the homes and lives of those you had harmed' were the words the judge had spoken, too light in her opinion.

That was in the past now though, and Riven looked to the future with a sense of peace. Having spent the last few years repairing that which she had destroyed, she had gained a sense of family along the way. It was difficult at first, every night and day she worked, there were many people delivering upon her their grievances. Each home she repaired was like trying to mend the wounds Noxus had gouged into Ionia, but the reward for doing so was far greater than any victory she could have achieved in battle. With each deed, the villagers saw how hard she worked, tireless day and night in her duty, some farmers who had worked most of their lives in the fields, or woodweavers, who shaped the very trees into homes, were amazed at how quickly she had become in-tune with the magic of ionia, how truly it was she wished to make right the wrongs she had done. Riven worked herself raw, often times overcome by exhaustion in her efforts to mend the scars Noxus had left on their lives.

Riven smiled as she remembered the first year she had been there, O'fa and O'ma had made her a delicious dinner in commemoration of her efforts. What she had not expected was how many people were there. Riven had been lead to a clearing just out back of the old couples house, and had been presented with a sight she believed she would never forget. There in the clearing were all the townspeople whos homes she had fixed in the last year. Asa, Shava, and many many townspeople were all situated there. The very judge who had sentenced her walked up, observing her slowly. Riven had looked away for a moment, glancing at her O'fa and O'ma. Surprise was etched into her face.

She remembered the judge smile once after her long examination, and place a hand on her shoulder, giving it a slow squeeze. "We decided, that since you've never received a proper welcoming in Ionia, that it was about time we gave you one. Welcome home, Riven."  
Riven's warm red eyes widened at this, and she soon felt the warm embrace of those who were effectively her adoptive mother and father. The tears that were shared between them were happy, and soon after the celebration truly began. Riven didn't remember much after that, for it was filled with drunken marieness, good food, and laughter. Her hard work, restoring what she had broken, restoring herself... They had welcomed it, recognized it, and accepted her for who she now was. That day, Riven had changed. She accepted what these people had known for a while already- that she was no longer a Noxian dog, but a daughter of Ionia.

Riven was brought out of her mental wanderings by a horseman from the council had been sent here, why? She wondered.

The horseman drew close, being sure not to accidentally mar the field, and dismounted. In a smooth motion he brought his hand back and pulled a scroll from his sack, moving closer to hand it to Riven.  
"The council has summoned you, and Master and Mistress Konte for a meeting this afternoon."  
The white haired Noxian woman looked down at the scroll, and opened it slowly, undoing the handmade ties and reading it briefly.

 _Dear Riven, Master and Mistress Konte._

 _Many years ago we suffered greatly at the hand of the Noxian empire. An unprovoked attack that lead to a mass of lost life, both from us, and them. Today we meet to address Riven, an ex-commander of the Noxian army and self imposed exile. Her deeds in the last 6 years since her arrival here have reached far and wide, leaving us with a decision on the remainder portion of her sentence. Please come to the Council Hall as soon as you are able, and we will finalize this matter with most haste._

 _Sincerely,  
The High Magister. _

Riven seemed frozen by the letter, from how it was worded, it was as if she was being sentanced again. She turned back to the house, and then nodded to the messenger. He bowed for a moment, before remounting and slowly urging his mount to plod away. The silver haired woman took a deep breath, her red eyes re-scanning the page as if to confirm what she read was true. They sky seemed to come overcast suddenly, as if to mirror the dread within her own mind.

Once the messenger had left, Asa opened the door slowly, taking his time he eased down the steps towards Riven. The last 6 years had really taken their toll on the older man, and he now walked with a cane.  
"O'fa… The Council wishes to see us." She said evenly, looking up at her would-be father.  
Asa looked confused, and rested his cane on the plow for a moment as he took the scroll from Riven's hands. His eyes read over it slowly, and confusion seemed to come over his face as his eyebrows knit closely together. He rolled it back up for a few moments, and pondered silently.  
"I suppose we'll go then." The old man smiled rather oddly at Riven, and she seemed very confused. Something made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, but she agreed.  
"Of course, O'fa." 


	2. The Time We Yearn For

The family of 3 approached the beautifully ornate council building, delicate weavings of stone and tree merging into one in high arches that were as alive as any person standing in or out of the building. There were two warrior priests stationed outside the council, and they bowed before the 3 of them, before opening the ornate doors. Six years ago Riven had stepped into these halls, a broken woman with an equally broken blade. Here, she had discovered purpose, and intent, and also a true sense of what justice could be.

Shava walked up first, her fiery disposition coming through even in her age. She looked rather upset, and put her hands on the table in front of the council.  
"Just who do you think you are? Your intent is to punish this girl for her crimes again after so long? What are you thinking High Magister!"  
The hawk-faced magistrate was as calm and collected as ever, taking only a deep breath and motioning Shava to sit.  
"Please, we will explain our reasoning for the letter shortly. Now if you would, have a seat."  
Shava bit her lip, but respected the authority of the magistrate and sat along with her husband.

"Now, Riven… Please come forward so the council may get a good look at you."  
The white haired ex-Noxian looked around, her nerves still prickling at the back of her neck, telling her that something was not quite as it seemed. She did as she was asked though, and came forward. The judge stood up, and came around the table, her robes flowing as she moved past the other magistrates. They leaned back, taking a more relaxed position as she came around the front of the table, walking up to Riven and inspecting her a bit.

"You look well, far better then when you first came here. I see that you've gotten yourself some proper clothing. Has Shava taught you how to sew then?"

Riven glanced at her O'ma, and then back at the magister.  
"Yes. Once the reparations were complete, I requested something to do with my hands. Several villagers had provided me with cloth for my service… And so Shava showed me how to make good use of it. I did not want it to go to waste."

The magister nodded, and smiled. "Good," She then motioned for the guards to open the doors  
"Go ahead and bring them in."

Riven looked back, and suddenly the room was filled with the villagers she had helped over the last few years. Nearly the whole village had tried to pack itself into the, perspectively speaking, small council hall. She was amazed.

"Riven." The hawk-like magistrate smiled, and the ex-Noxian turned to face her again. The whole hall was silent then.

"This council hereby pardons your actions. Your unwavering service to Ionia has gone above and beyond what we had expected. You've not only worked to repair the homes and families Noxus has shattered, but in the process improved the lives of everybody here in this village. Your… Unwavering strength, in the face of despair is all something we can learn from. You are Ionian, from this day forward, no matter where you go or what adversities you face."

The crowd behind her slowly bowed, and the magistrate began again.

"Riven, you are free." 


	3. The Future We See

Riven walked home in a bit of a stupor. The Kontes had already been home for a few hours, and the celebration that had commenced after the announcement was very fantastical. It almost compared to her welcoming party… Almost. The ex-Noxian walked up the steps to her home, and turned to the sky, allowing, for just a moment, a smile to etch itself onto her face. The motion felt awkward, almost unnatural to her as she thought about how long it had been since such a feeling of joy came to her heart and mind.

Unfortunately, she could find none. As Riven looked to the sky, she crossed her arms in front of her chest, and mumbled to herself  
"I… am free."  
What did that mean? Was she free of her sentence? Free to return to Noxus? Free of… What?  
The still young woman did not know, she had never lived a life 'free' before. She had always been under someone's thumb, someone to do as they were told, a tool for war and conquest, someone to fix Noxus' mistakes, but now what did she have?

Certainly she could not stay with the Kontes forever, after all, her work, while useful, would eventually become un-needed as they passed away. Then what would she do? She had no desire to 'settle down' as most would, start a stable job, she knew it would not suit her. Riven certainly did not want to raise children, feeling that if she decided to do so it would not end very well for them. Perhaps-

"Dyeda?"

Riven turned around, startled a bit, and her muscles tensed a moment before relaxing. She took a breath, and her shoulders slacked a bit,  
"O'ma… You snuck up on me, I'm lucky you were not some assassin." Riven made a haphazard attempt at a joke, but humor was not exactly her strongest skill, and Shava frowned a bit.  
"You've been out here for a while, I simply came to check to see if you were coming in."  
"I see… I'll be in shortly O'ma. My apologies."  
Shava nodded, and moved towards the now Ionian woman, smiling softly from her previous frown as she took Riven's cheeks into her hands, and cradled her face gently.  
"You will now, and always, be a daughter to me. Wherever your path takes you from here on, you are your own person, not a pet of Noxus. You have redeemed yourself, do not ever let anybody take that from you."  
Tears welled up slowly over her dim red eyes, and Riven glanced away for a brief moment from Shava's face. She didn't know if she could stand looking at the old woman for longer then that. Her chest seemed to tie itself into a knot, and she took a breath, slow, deliberate, before her lips parted gently.  
"T-thank you, so much, for everything, O'ma."  
For the first time in her life, Riven's voice crackled under the weight of her emotions, her throat seemed to constrict, as if a simple thank you was like lead coming from her lips.  
Shava nodded, her warm smile seeming to brighten even the darkest nights in Ionia. The elderly woman turned, after gently stroking her would-be daughter's cheeks, and bid Riven goodnight.  
The silver haired swordswoman stood in the wavering night light for a bit longer, and looked to the sky.

After a moment of pondering, and gathering herself, she moved to join the pair in slumber in the spare room they had. Entering the small ornate cottage, she observed and examined the wood, beautifully crafted by Asa's wood-weaving skills, and decorated with Shava's beautiful hand crafted trinkets and Ionian drapery, this place had been her unwavering home for the last 6 years. As she felt the magic in the wood, she sensed every nook and cranny of the tree that they shared their lives with. Every spell woven to coax it into the right shape, every bad winter and wonderful summer, Riven could feel it all.

Inside of her though, she questioned if this was truly what she wanted. If this life was her purpose. Especially now, she was free. Never before had she ever felt such a thing in her life, she always followed orders, go here, kill there, conquer this, burn that. Even now, the years she spent repenting her sins, she had followed the orders of her victims to the last letter, and then some.

Inside of her, there grew a seed of discontent.

Riven laid down for the night, gazing up at the night sky, and looked to the stars from her bed as she began to doze off, but even as her red eyes fluttered closed, New visions of something wonderful overtook her mind.

Cold, and unforgiving. A spire of earth reaching to the heavens themselves. Atop it, a brilliantly shimmering light like no other she had seen before, this light twisted down the peak, showing a path She watched as this path wound down like a river, creeping across the cold spire and down to its base, beautiful and green, then further out, a path etched into the earth, winding all along Runeterra, and across the sea, into Ionia. The golden light went all the way through, etching itself deep into the magical land, before finding its way to riven. It shone on her chest, and she looked down, watching the flow of energy pulse inside of her.

It felt warm, not unlike Shava's embrace, or Asa's kind words. It felt hot like the forges from Noxus, and burning like Singed's chemicals on her arms. It wrapped all of these feelings so tightly within her that she felt like she was going to explode. The sensations that swirled within her brought visions of fantastic and horrible things, both past and future. It was like a slideshow of the world, and in the end she saw one thing; The Void.  
Horrific creatures sprung from rifts of unknown origin, and at the center of the horror and death that plagued over Runeterra one was at the center. An unknown man cloaked in void energy, with parasitic creatures crawling off of him and joining the horde as it spread across Runeterra.

Then, suddenly as it began, it vanished. Riven shook her head as the visions that raced through it slowly dissipated, she felt so empty once it left, so confused at what she had just seen, and she looked up the path. She could still see the glimmer, and began to run towards it.

"Wait!"

Each step she took seemed to take her further from the calling light. She kept running, determined, but her determination would not bring her what she desired. The light from the mountain disappeared after a flash, and all that was left was emptiness. Darkness, emptiness, and loneliness, as if a dear friend had just died in front of her very eyes. Riven fell to her knees, and dug at the earth under her fingers. She felt so frustrated, the ex-Noxian tried to piece together what it all meant, but she had no time. The dream was fading around her as a gentle voice called to her, and suddenly she was back in the real world, sitting up and reaching for her shattered blade. Her eyes were unfocused, blurry as she tried to quickly wipe the sleep from them.

Asa stood above her, hands on her shoulders and breathing a sigh of relief.

"Dyeda, you've been shouting in your dreams all morning… I'm sorry, you looked so pained, I had to wake you."

Riven was trembling slightly, even Asa could feel it, as cold sweat ran down her neck and back, she let go of the now tight grip she had on her sword handle, and shook her head. When she spoke next her words came with much effort, as silver hair veiled exhausted eyes. She had not had a dream like this in many years.

"O'fa… thank you… "

Asa slowly let go of Riven's shoulders, realizing his grip was a bit too tight, and thankful for the fact that she did not seem to notice. The soldier stayed in bed with her hands resting on her lap for some time as she collected herself, as Asa sat in a nearby chair to watch over her. He typically did this when she was having terrible dreams due to one night succumbing to the madness of her mind, she attempted to withdraw her monsterous sword and slay herself with it. With an equally monstrous effort, Asa managed to pry the thing from her fingers, albeit with cuts and bruises along the way dealt to his hands, but the old man was no push over, and he had not saved her life only for her to throw it away like a child.

So he sat with her, as he had hundreds of times before, quietly weaving a trinket for someone he knew, and relaxing in the chair.

Riven felt sore all over, as if her body had been pounded on by Lord Darius's axe all morning. Her head throbbed and felt like someone shoved fruit into her ears. The sensations coming over her were terrible but, she began to remember the dream she had, the mountain, and the terrible things that swallowed Runeterra whole. She leaned back, attempting to relax with the pounding headache and sore body she now had, and her eyes traveled along the wood of the home, delicate, ornate, eventually the weavings lead to Asa, and she watched him for a few moments in silence before posing a question to him.

"O'fa"  
"Yes Dyeda?"  
"I saw a mountain in my dream, it reached to the heavens like a grasping child… and… other things, terrible things I've never seen in my life before. Do you know of this mountain, O'fa? It whispered things I could not repeat, showed me things that were wonderous… and frightening."

Dreams are a powerful thing in Ionia, and not shied away or kept under lock and key like in other places. They are treated with power and meaning. Riven had sought counsel from Asa many times for her dreams, as the old man knew much she did not, and she felt comfortable doing it again for this.

Asa paused in his wood-weaving, a bit of a paleness coming to his face and he looked to his would-be daughter slowly.

"Targon. What you saw in your dreams, Dyeda, was Mt. Targon. And the Void."

Riven remembered faintly Mt. Targon, the name brought back a brief conversation with Darius, and how they spoke of the potential that lies in, or rather, ON the mountain. He spoke of things such as once they had the magical power they needed from Ionia's conquest, that they would assault and claim the slopes of the mountain. Riven put her hand over her chest, where the light once was in her mind, and it felt cold, empty.

"Has the mountain called to you, Dyeda…?"

She was hesitant to answer, and her eyes met with Asa's, there was a long silence between the two of them as the still young ex-Noxian woman tried to figure out for herself if what he asked was true or not. Riven rolled over in the small bed, gazing out the window as her thoughts swirled within her mind. She was free now, she could go where she liked, do as she pleased. If this mountain called to her for some purpose, perhaps it was best she followed it.

Asa sighed, and walked over to Riven's bed, he sat down on the floor, and she rolled over to look at him. His words were soft, and calm, but also stern like a father would be.

"Go, child. The mountain has spoke to you and I know better then most you cannot stop the call once the fire of the sun has been lit in your heart."

Riven sat up, and her eyes looked deeply into her would-be father's. The air in the room seemed to get tense as red clashed with deep brown, but it was Riven who finally broke the gaze. She looked away as she got up, and down at her sword. The journey would be long, she needed time to consider what it actually would do for her.

"I need time, O'fa. You will know by tomorrow morning if I intend to leave, I might not either way, you and shava are not getting any younger, and you'll need my help-"

"I will not let you use our sorry old bones as an excuse to not follow the path you desire, dyeda."  
Shava interrupted, coming in from the fields as she wiped her hands off from the dirt with a cloth. The door shut behind her and she walked up to Riven, a bit of dirt and grime on her cheeks as she leaned in close, whispering softly to her daughter.

"Go. Follow the path this world has in store for you. Your home will always be here, waiting for you."

Riven's red eyes looked into the eyes of the old woman, and her world seemed to constrict. Everything she had never experienced before- a family, a home, peace, here it was staring her in the face, begging her to leave. It broke her heart on the inside, to finally have such a thing, such a place, only to have it dissolved away like the flesh of her company in Singed's poison. Her chest constricted, like someone was coiling their fingers around her heart. Her breath seemed to escape from her lungs like Darius himself had thrust the butt of his axe into her chest, and she laid her hands on Shava's.

"O'ma… No… Mother."  
Riven's face hardened, and she retook herself with the utterance of those words.  
"Will you have me return, if I do? Will you allow me to tend to your fields and partake in your dinners again?"

Shava shook her head with a sigh, and Asa stood up, looking rather offended.  
"Daughter, if you expect anything else other than an open door and a warm bed, then you truly have not come to know us."

Riven bit her lip, and nodded sharply, her red eyes twinkling like rubies as fresh tears threatened to overflow from them. Shava smiled a warm, gentle smile, and Asa reached over to gently grip her arm, squeezing it tightly.

"I will go, then, to the mountain." 


	4. The Past That Blinds Us

The night was cold, and windy, unlike the normal Ionian summer, it dipped in temperature almost as if a night terror were stalking the calm farmers village. Under the pale moonlight there was a soft glow, a green unlike anything else around. The light was flickering as if it was alive, and the object that created the emerald twinkle might as well have been. Riven held the sword under the moonlight, running her calloused fingers over the pieces of blade that stuck themselves together with runic energy, her red eyes glowing against the dancing shafts of energy as she gazed up from the steps of the farm with her blade on her lap.

Around her, the ghosts of the ones she had slain, their blood forever etched into her hands and the object of death laying on her muscled legs. She had long since steeled herself of the fright she once had for these spirits in her blade, and now, in a time of such uncertainty for her, took an almost odd comfort from their presence.

Her crimson eyes looked up, and observed each ghost slowly, taking in their facial features, if they were smiling or not, how the state of their flesh was, if their clothes were raggy or not, each detail she etched into her mind slowly, for she would not forget them, even if it was her destiny to leave Ionia, she knew it was her duty to never forget the faces of those she had slain in the name of another nation.

Riven looked back at her blade, a soft smile came upon her lips, and she felt a pull at her mind, as she had the last week as she prepared herself for her journey. The moon was beginning to edge its way over to the horizon, and she stood up slowly, sheith in one hand, and blade in the other, behind her, a pack full of goods and supplies, the same pack she carried when she was a Noxian soldier. On the top of the pack, the pauldron she had from that time, a Noxian crest firmly etched onto it. It was time to face her past, there would be no way she would make it to Targon without passing through Noxian territory, and with that the associated risks.

Some part of her bubbled with excitement, itched to come out, as goose bumps raised on her skin from the very thought. Old sounds and scents flooded her mind, the bustle of the Noxian streets, the sound of the steelworkers in the capital, the smell of tar and firm, tame magic, very much unlike Ionia's richness and wild luster permeated every bit of her memory, along with the melting pot of cultures and ideologies, all mixed under one banner…

The Might of Noxus.

The white haired woman gripped her sword tight, and shut her eyes, letting the memories take her back, she was no child, and all of these 'precious' memories may very be fallacy, but she clung to it. She clung to her vision of Noxus not as a tyrannical imperium, but rather a place for all who sought strength to achieve it if they desired.

Morning was nipping at the heels of the moon like a hungry wolf now and through her musings, the emerald shafts of light dimmed as the power of the sun gripped at the earth like a lion sinking its claws into a fresh meal. Riven knew it was time to go.

Giving one last look at the aging farmhouse, Riven sheathed her sword. Swinging the shattered-yet-whole blade over her shoulder, the adjusted sash to keep it from touching the ground but just barely, and she picked up her pack, allowing it to hang loosely off of her. In the brightening morning light, the reflective portion of the pauldron on her sack revealed the mark of Noxus to be angrily scratched away, as if a child had attempted to dig the mark out of the very steel it was imbedded in. 


	5. The Future We Forge

It had been about a week since Riven left her home, and Ionia's dense forest parted way to reveal a war scarred shore line. Steel boats lay on parts of the beach, broken and rusting, alone with some remnants of a battle fought and won with blood. Riven's thick boots left deep tracks in the sand as she walked past a torn and tattered Noxian flag, the boat it came from half sunk, its bow sticking up from the sand as if a last post of defiance left untouched by the Ionian people, a reminder of what laid beyond the shores of the first lands.

Riven's crimson eyes scanned the water line, as she slowly made her way over to the small port from where she came out of the forest, while flecks of memory from her landing on the island came to the forefront of her mind.

The port had a name she could not remember, though it looked as if reparations were still being made to the small village, a frown came to the ex-Noxian woman's face, and as her boots began to get unstuck from the sand, she entered the port.

Remnants of old buildings laid on the outskirts, burnt down, and industrial buildings still lingered as several wood weavers attempted to undo what had been done out of the corner of Riven's eye. She walked up to a nearby tavern, and gently eased the door open. Uttering a greeting in Ionian, she looked around, and a thin woman came out from around the back of the tavern's counter.

"Hello! You're our fir-... wait…"  
Riven sighed.  
"You're Noxian."  
The woman's voice was like acid in her veins, switching like a lightning bolt from happy and excited to seething and angry. The white haired Noxian woman frowned, and bowed, before backing up a bit to ensure she wasn't going to be stuck in this tavern.  
"I'm sorry for what happened here, I simply wish to go across on a ferry-"  
The glare was more than enough to stop her in her sentence, and the woman pulled out a magically imbued knife.  
"I'll send you back to your homeland all you want _Noxian_ , just come here and let me slip my blade between your ribs."

Riven backed up a bit, her expression relaxed as she kept her eyes on the approaching armed woman.  
"Please, I've made my peace with the people of the first land, I've helped people, for the last 6 years, i stood trial, I'm only trying to leave in peace."

These words only seemed to infuriate the woman even more, and she started crying.  
"How dare you! Implying your people could EVER repent for the crimes you committed here! I bet you joined in the slaughter, and you enjoyed it! You disgust me and you should drop to your knees and beg forgiveness this instant so I can slit your throat!"

The tone of her voice was erratic, and Riven was thankful that they were alone in the tavern, lest she have a mob on her hands. She looked around, before turning out of the door and bolting towards the safety of the forest. She could not fight the woman here, much less at all. It would only further to prove whatever delusional point the scornful Ionian had.

One of the wood weavers looked up from his work, sweat beading off of his brow as the tree he was in charge of seemed to lose its luster as the magic that was being used to coax it receded back into the ground. He saw the white haired woman being chased, and their eyes locked for a moment as Riven ran past him, her heavy boots weighing her down as she crossed the border from the village, sinking into the sand

The wood-weaver's gaze went from Riven's struggling form back to the woman chasing her down, and he grabbed onto her arm, not understanding the situation. As she came to a rather abrupt stop, the knife fell from her hand and landed on the ground. The man gave the tavern owner an incredulous look, as his gaze drew from the blade to her face.  
"Chae, what are you doing?!"  
Chae yanked at the stronger mans pull, and she sneered at him, shame etching itself into her face, but she would not back down from her decision.  
"Let me go she's a Noxian! Don't let that murderer get away Ozan!"

Ozan looked up at Riven, who had turned around and was treading back over towards them, her shoulders moving at an even pace as her lungs attempted to ussure air into her body.  
"Noxian…?" he said quietly, and eyed over Riven's form. His gaze first went to the broadsword she carried in a sheath behind her, then the chipped and damaged deep green pauldron on her bag. Finally, his eyes came to rest on her hands, rough and calloused like a proper swordswoman, but also etched with the tiny magical engravings of a wood weaver's apprentice.

A sigh came from the white haired woman, and she undid her pack and sword, having to sprint with such things after many years of not traveling had caught her by surprise, and she was a bit out of breath. Her things clanged onto the ground as she dropped them with the least amount of care possible, and she got onto her knees, her tone even and even rather bored as she spoke.

"I'm sorry for the trouble, my journey takes me to Mt Targon, and I would appreciate a ferry across to the main land… please."

Riven glanced up, to make sure she was not about to receive a knife in the back for attempting peace rather than simply slaughtering the both of them. Others had gathered now, seeing the commotion.

"You're Noxian, then, as Chae says?"

Riven's breath came out in a sigh as she felt the biting edge of Ozan's words, and she nodded, sitting up, and crossing her legs, she let her hands rest in her lap.  
"Yes, I was Noxian at the time of the invasion."

Ozan's eyes narrowed at the words, and he let go of Chae's wrist, turning around, he spoke a firm yet quiet 'don't move' to her, and walked up to Riven.  
"Was? What do you mean? And while your at it, tell us where you got those wood-weaver's markings." His finger jabbed at the sides of her hands, softly shimmering marks on her wrist, a sapling.  
She looked down at the marking, and then back up to Ozan, answering planely  
"I repaired Ionian homes that Noxus and myself had destroyed for the last 6 years. The master taught me wood weaving, though I was only able to fix what was broken, and not create whole houses from the trees. It was part of my penance to the people of the first lands, for those I had slain and homes I had ruined. I served trial for my crimes, and was pardoned, for my service."

The people standing around her were in cold shock, as if someone had just shoved ice in their veins, a Noxian, one who had admitted to killing innocent people, standing before them pardoned. The notion itself seemed almost too disgusting to believe, but Ozan knew, he had heard of this woman, and he sighed.  
"What is it you come to our village for, Riven? Why do you trouble out people so?"

Riven looked around the small crowd of 10 or so people, and moved to bow her head again,

"No words can I say in Ionian to express the sorrow I have for you and your people. The sins I committed are still bound to my hands, I will never forget… But I have learned to forgive, just as my O'ma and O'fa forgave me."

Chae stepped forward, having been sobbing quietly, she spit on Riven's face, her body racked with shudders and tears.

"Forgiveness? You're joking right?!, no matter how much those peace mongering elders say, you killed my family, and I will NEVER forgive you for that."

As the spit splattered onto Riven's cheek, her eyebrows knitted, and the turned, grabbing quickly the blade behind her and unsheathing it, revealing the emerald ghosts trapped inside. The motion was so fast and the light nearly blinding, the people in front of her had no time to react. She stood up, tears now masking the spit thrown on her cheek, and she walked up to the woman, as ghostly figures stayed motionless, staring.

"I do not need your forgiveness, I have already paid the price for my mistakes, and I will for the rest of my life, until I join these ghosts on the other side. Now, will you offer me a ferry or not?"

Chae fell to the ground, her chest shuddering with sobs as her eyes frighteningly reflected the ghostly visions Riven's shattered blade manifested. Skin singed away, body parts cut in half, but still whole, sad and angry people, of Noxian and Ionian origin, manifested in her blade.

Riven turned around, and grabbed the massive sword, sheathing it, hiding once again her sins, and she took a breath, as that day crept up within her mind, screaming, poison, people's skin boiling infront of her. Her hands shuddered, and she gripped them for a moment before steeling herself and turning around.

Ozan spoke next, his words were wavering from the previous events, and like him, many people were a bit shocked.  
"There is a ferry I run at the end of the week, you may take it on its next journey, Riven."

She nodded, and re-slung her things over her shoulder as she began to walk away from the small village port, towards one of the lesser wrecked Noxian vestles.


End file.
